Yes on Prop 8 Accused of Blackmail

[Gold Metal Flake]

From Kos


News 8 in San Diego

A threatening letter has sparked a new controversy here in San Diego surrounding the gay marriage debate. Donors who gave money to the No on Prop 8 campaign say they received blackmail letters demanding money, and the Yes on 8 campaign now says the letters were sent by their employees.

The letter from Yes on 8 came by certified mail, demanding at least $10,000. Jim Abbot knows exactly why he's being targeted - his business gave $10,000 to a group called Equality California, which supports No on Prop 9.

Jim says nearly 25 percent of his staff is gay.

"We wanted to support their freedom to marry," he said.

The letter says if Jim doesn't give an equal donation to Yes on 8, the name of his company will be published. It reads in part, "It is only fair for Proposition 8 supporters to know which companies and organizations oppose traditional marriage.

Muthafukka.

Oh, wait, there is, of course, more.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2008/10/23/state/n145556D05.DTL&tsp=1">From the San Francisco Chronicle

Leaders of the campaign to outlaw same-sex marriage in California are warning businesses that have given money to the state's largest gay rights group they will be publicly identified as opponents of traditional unions unless they contribute to the gay marriage ban, too.

ProtectMarriage.com, the umbrella group behind a ballot initiative that would overturn the California Supreme Court decision that legalized gay marriage, sent a certified letter this week asking companies to withdraw their support of Equality California, a nonprofit organization that is helping lead the campaign against Proposition 8.

"Make a donation of a like amount to ProtectMarriage.com which will help us correct this error," reads the letter. "Were you to elect not to donate comparably, it would be a clear indication that you are in opposition to traditional marriage. ... The names of any companies and organizations that choose not to donate in like manner to ProtectMarriage.com but have given to Equality California will be published."

The letter was signed by four members of the group's executive committee: campaign chairman Ron Prentice; Edward Dolejsi, executive director of the California Catholic Conference; Mark Jansson, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; and Andrew Pugno, the lawyer for ProtectMarriage.com. A donation form was attached. The letter did not say where the names would be published.

These sick bastards must be stopped.

[cstanleytech]

1. I thought extortion was a crime?

[HillbillyBob]

33. I think it is blackmail, I can't remember off hand what the functional

difference between blackmail and extortion is, either way it is a felony and chargeable under
RICO since there is a concerted effort involved..
Then again the FASCIST reprehensible party has been doing this kind of thing for how long?
Cartel agreements between American and Nazi corporations to stall the war effort in WWII.
Booshes "we have to kill sadam so osama wont have a place to hide"..WMD....

[tblue]

2. Isn't this crap illegal? Extortion, isn't it?

Bring it, assholes. Bring it. Yes on 8 is gonna lose and this ugly campaign will be the reason why.

If I was one of those business owners, I'd either ignore the threat or have my legal counsel contact them and say, 'Bring it.'

[Rabrrrrrr]

3. Wow. I'm thinking that's a pretty illegal thing to do.

[Gold Metal Flake]

6. Well, it's not "real" illegal, it's Republican illegal.

IOKIYAR.

Anyways, the story is just now breaking. We will see if anyone from the "responsibility party' is held responsible.

[myrna minx]

4. This is illegal!

:grr:

[Kerrytravelers]

5. This is fine with me. Knowing who supports civil rights helps me decide who to shop from.

[Gold Metal Flake]

8. It's not for us to say if it's "fine" or not.

I dig what you are saying, but dig this. Any attempt at extortion, regardless how rediculous or stereotypical (these pukes are becoming self-parodies) should be prosecuted with the same zeal and dedication as the prosecution of any third-strike pot dealer.

[Kerrytravelers]

15. Of course extortion is illegal. Although, since donations are public information, I'm not sure this

is extortion.

[Gold Metal Flake]

16. Hey hey hey, lets just alert and let the mods in the DA's office sort it out. ;-)

At the very least, I'm sure KO would make use of it.

[Kerrytravelers]

37. If only the Mods could sort out the RW stupidity. They wouldn't fare too well!

I would love to see KO and Rachel Maddow get their hands on this!

[Robbien]

7. Exactly the kind of intimidation for which holy roller GOPers are known

They did a similar campaign to get lefties off the radio, but instead of demanding money they threatened sponsors of radio stations who would not pull liberal programs.

These religious freaks are scary nuts.

[AlCzervik]

9. Disgusting and it must be illegal.

[Duncan Grant]

10. Who would Jesus extort? A hearty K&R for a Catholic and Mormon capo.

Just when I thought I couldn't loathe these people any more than I already do.

And they call people like me "intrinsically evil"?! Yeah, right.

With liberty and justice for all...

[Maat]

11. I hope that someone forwards a copy of the letter to the state attorney general ..

our state attorney general is Jerry Brown :).

[msongs]

12. will be VERY HELPFUL if this becomes a big news item tomorrow (Friday) :-) nt

[Oeditpus Rex]

13. This needs to get viral

The more people who realize how scummy these vile motherfuckers are, the better.

:grr:

[Lyric]

14. K&R... The rest of the country needs to see what wholesome, traditional values

these assholes REALLY uphold.

Thanks for posting this, OR. :hi:

[captainjack08]

17. Ohio, San Diego CA, Pennsylvania,Minnesota, South Florida, Hate, 9/11

Has anyone else noticed that wherever there is an outrageous Republican stink brewing, it is in areas of the country known to have corrupt fascist right-winger types and also to have been involved in 9/11 scandals/complicity in some way?

San Diego, CA : Yes on 8 Gay Blackmail Bruhaha | A Number of 9/11 hijackers made their home in San Diego
http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-53065162.html

Minnesota : Michelle Bachman's "Dem's are Anti-American" stink, Larry Sinclair BJ Stink | Minneapolis FBI thwarted from warning on 9/11

South Florida : Stolen Elections, Voter Purging | 9/11 Hijackers trained at Huffman Aviation Venice FL

Pennsylvania : Stolen Elections, woman claims Obama supporter carves backwards B in her face | Flight 93 is swallowed whole by the earth leaving no wreckage (ie. shot down?)

Ohio : Stolen Elections, Bogus ACORN scandal | Strange claim that a hijacked plane landed in Ohio on 9/11, Flight 93 switches direction over Ohio

Anyone else here see a pattern with loud mouth fascist Republican haters and 9/11 hijinks in the areas where these corrupt Republicans live???

Edited to blame Rethugs and Not the States themselves if that is how this was taken

[KitchenWitch]

18. I really hate to burst your bubble, but racist republicans reside pretty much everywhere

And you may need to loosen that metallic hat you are wearing.

:tinfoilhat:

[captainjack08]

19. After 8 years of Cheney/Bush lies, who isn't wearing the tinfoil?

If you're not wearing a tin foil hat after 8 years of lies from Cheney/Bush, then you just aren't paying attention.

[KitchenWitch]

20. I simply choose not to jump to conclusions where there ARE none.

[captainjack08]

22. Yeah, and that's how we got stuck in Iraq... why we got taxed $700 billion

You're probably one of the ones who wouldn't draw any "conclusions" about the lies being peddled on the Iraqi WMDs or believes the lie that your $700 is being used for something other than bailing out crooks.

Believe in a few more conspiracies people... get ****** in the ass less by crooks.

[KitchenWitch]

23. That would be incorrect.

The events (not including 9/11) leading up to the Iraq War did not pass the smell test. To suddenly switch gears from "Let's go get Osama bin Laden" to "fuck that, Saddam Hussein is our problem" was clearly fucked up.

Broad brush strokes only serve to get innocent folks bathed in paint.

[captainjack08]

26. Understand your point but disagree..

There is an entire list of shady things coming out of those states mentioned involving these elections... things you are not seeing in places like New Mexico, Hawaii, South Dakota, etc. I believe there is a reason for it... underlying Republican corruption that deserves to be looked at. That is my only point.

[KitchenWitch]

27. Understand that I am on outrage overload

Not that it is right, but I am desensitized to how fucked up the current misadministration is. If I were not desensitized to it, I would, quite literally, be dead.

[captainjack08]

28. I know what you mean...

I'm desensitized but still angry about 8 years of Bush hijinks... simply trying to shine light on shitheads wherever they may be hiding. Not trying to demonize entire parts of the country by stereotyping them all one way. I just want the crooks flushed out like rats and exposed.

[cboy4]

21. Region bashing is very unproductive. It's divisive and

diverts attention from the core issue. :thumbsdown:

There are great Democrats/DUers in all of the states you mentioned who have every right to be offended by what you wrote -- which was all baloney, BTW.

[cboy4]

24. These Prop 8 people are among the lowest forms of life.

Really, they all belong to a hate group.

:puke:

[captainjack08]

25. Sorry for region bashing...

Don't mean to suggest whole areas are bad... just noticing a pattern of activity that repeatedly is popping up in the Republican areas of those states mentioned.

[Liberal_in_LA]

29. wow. Not too smart.

[im1013]

30. There are no words to describe how

fucking APPALLED I am to hear shit like this!
Self-proclaimed "Men of God" no less!
Aaaaaaaaaccccccckkkkkk!!!!!!!!!!

I'm ill, now I have to put away the brownies.....dammit!


:puke::puke:

[Beregond2]

31. Extortion, plain and simple.

These guys are going to jail.

[McCamy Taylor]

32. I think these extortionists names should be published in an arrest report.

[MindPilot]

34. An out-of-state church is bankrolling the yes on 8 campaign

How is it that these godfreaks always seem have not only boatloads of cash but legal immunity as well?

But it's a sure bet no-one will face charges because they believe in jeeezuz.





They really want to define marriage as "between one man and as many women as he wants".

[SidneyCarton]

41. There are 700,000+ Mormons who are native to California

We didn't all just show up last week.

[MindPilot]

42. Apparently a lot of you did..

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=4302932&mesg_id=4303094

[Donald Ian Rankin]

35. I suspect this is legal - after all, what they're threatening them with isn't against the law.

Certainly, just publishing a list of companies donating to Equality California would be legal.

It may be that telling those companies that you won't do so if they give you money makes it a crime, but I'd be surprised if so.

[Bluenorthwest]

36. Demanding money or action

Is illegal, no matter what the action. Think about it. These are thugs.

[Gold Metal Flake]

38. Mid-day kick.

[hunter]

39. sEnd US mOneY NoW Or we'Ll pOinT AT yOU anD say yoU're GAY!

Oh NO!

:rofl:

[DBR]

40. It's blackmail. The guys who signed the letter are...

A video that discusses this briefly and exposes the 4 men that signed it can be found here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vi61G6lJ4Po